Interior illumination system for vehicles and recessed twin beam fixtures therefor



Jan. 15, 1952 ARENBERG 2,582,738

INTERIOR ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES AND RECESSED TWIN BEAMFIXTURES THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 13, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l Til/5BUM (5E0 WHEN C TFH VEL5 /A/ 77/45 17/95 6770!! IN V EN TOR.

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Jan. 15, 1952 A. ARENBERG INTERIOR ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES ANDRECESSED TWIN BEAM FIXTURES THEREFOR 15, 194-4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Nov.

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INTERIOR ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES AND RECESSED TWIN BEAMFIXTURES THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 13, 1944 3 sheets-sheet 3 777/6BULE (6E0 WHEN C)? 7? V5 5 IN Til/5 H/HECT/O/V Patented Jan. 15, 1952INTERIOR ILLTJMINATIQN .SYSTIEMQFOR ,HIGLES Ann BEoEssEn 'rwm BEAM FIX-TUBES THEREFOR Albert :L. .Arenberg, Highlandfiank, 111., ,assignor toPatent License Gorporation, Qhicago, 111,, a corporation of Illinois"Continuation er application Serial No. $63,171, November 1'3, "1944-.This application July :8,

:1949, =Serial'NoJ-103fl05 (spleens. (omit-ates 1 This application is acontinuation of :my c opending application Serial ,No. -1563,l7'],.-,filed .November 13, 1944, whichis abandoned. I

The present invention relates to an illuminating system, andrequisitecfixtures involved therer in, particularly designed for fullyilluminating the interior of a railway-car .or similar passengerconveyance. Itincludes provision for uniformly and thoroughlyilluminating the interior of the vehicle, in part by a scheme .ofindirectlighting wherein the presence :of shadows or images of theillumination source is {avoided .and in ,part by directintensified beamsonto thereading area or plane of passengers occupying seats ,in .thevehicle.

As a further feature Itcontemplat'e improvements in the last named.direc't lighting gfe'ature whereby, in the case of a vehiclehaving'reversible seats or individual chairs adjustable with relation to thedirection of travel, the passengers reading area is fully and perfectlyilluminated regardless of the direction of travel o'fithe vehicle andthe consequent disposition of his seat relative to the vehicle. In this.respectthe'invention is also particularly intended for application tostandard railway coach -vehicles having pairs of seats on 'either'sideof a center'ais'le. 1

An object of the invention'is toprovide an i'n direct lighting systemfora vehicle of thetype described, preferably associated "with the usualoverhead luggage rack of'the 'vehicle,-such=as-is commonly disposed-0neither sideof-a-n'aisle-and extends longitudinally thereof wherebythe'ceiling and upper portion ofthe vehicle interior-are fullyilluminated without shadow and, moreover, without reproduction of animage =of the light source thereon.

A further object is to provide a=system o'fithe 'type described havingprovisions for illuminating the ceiling,as-described, and vinassoz'ziation therewith provisions for fully and ..uniformlyillluminating the area immediately beneath the luggage rack byindirectrlight.

Yet another object is to provide "a :system rof the type referred to inwhichzsaidiprovisionsior illuminating the area immediately1beneath."said luggage rack .or equivalent support,:aremetraeted orwithdrawn withrelation ;to the exposed @surface of such rack or support,wherebytto provide an improved continuity ofsurfaceappearanceof theinstallation and to eliminate,projectingzparts likely to be damagedbyimpactor-to'cause-injury to a person inadvertently bumpinginto the.same.

Another more specific -lobject .is .to provide a system ,of the sortreferred to; in the preceding paragraph, in which the illuminatingprovisions include light housing means having alight source or sourcestherein, in association with appropriate lens ,means for directing beamsdownwardly onto a reading area beneath said housing means, in which saidlens means is supported in an improved, retracted fashion relative tothe exposed surface of a luggage rack or other sup- ,port iorthehousingstructure by means ofgenerally tubular, conical lens mounting meansassociated .Withsaid housing and extending inwardly thereof.

,A further object is to provide a system of the type described above,wherein a single light source ,is'qemployed for both fields ofillumination described.

A still durther object of the invention is to iprovifde a system ofthetype described which is characterized by its simplicity and economyof structure and efiiciency of operation.

Adurtherobject of the invention is to provide {individual illuminationmeans associated with the luggage rack or similar support on a vehiclefor .directing intensified twin reading beams downwardly to adjacentpassenger seats on one side of the centerlaisle wherebyeach occupant isafforded (an individual intensified illuminated area at his "readingplane; and furthermore, wherein provisions are made for assuring suchindividual illuminated reading area regardless of the direc- ,tion ortravel ,of the vehicle and the attendant .orientation of the reversibleseats of the latter, the arrangement'being such that saidilluminatsingnprovvisions are entirely concealed with regard ,to theexposed surface of said support.

Yetanotherobject of the invention resides in the provision withindividualtwin reading lights of the type described along withelectrical wiring circuits therefor, of a -master switch wherebysimultaneousadjustment ismade by the operator .or conductor of thevehicle tobring into opera- .tion ,the appropriate light source forproducing the -.,appropriate beam indicated by 'the direction oftravelof the vehicle. ,Other, and Ifurtherobjects of the, invention willJae-pointed ,out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparentmpon anunderstanding of the inventionpr upon-actual use Of it.

I For-the purpose of aiding in an explanation of v therinventionvl showin theaccompanying draw- ;i f rformingtapart .Of this specification,preferred forms in which it may beembodied. VItwill be understood,however, that this disclosure is presented lmerelyjfor purpose ofillustration and is not .to,,be.regardedasimpqsing unnecessary l m ancewith the direction of travel of the vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical section through a luggage rackof a vehicle, with which the provisions of this invention are primarilyintended to be associatedffurther illustrating details of constructionand arrangement of the several features of the invention, particularlythe provisions for withdrawing the illumination structure relative tothe exposed surface of its support;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section through anillumination housing of the present system and illustrates the means forproducing at will selective longitudinally divergent intensified beamsproduced under the control of a master switch, in accordance with thedirection of travel of the vehicle;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section throughthe illumination housing means of the system in a slightly modifiedembodiment thereof, similarly indicating the longitudinally spaced andlongitudinally divergent reading beams generated selectively under thecontrol of the master switch referred to; 1

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in general similar to Fig. 3, and on acorresponding section, illustrating a modified form of means forilluminating the vehicle interior by indirect rays, in particular theceiling area and the area beneath the luggage rack; and

Fig. 7 is a simple wiring diagram illustrating the circuit hook-up for asystem such as that described.

This invention provides a system for efiflciently and thoroughlyilluminating the interior of a vehicle such as a railway car, bus andthe like, as well as for providing intensified reading beams at thereading plane of passengers therein. Being particularly devised for usein a railway car having reversible seats, a feature of the invention isthe provision for such beams regardless of the position of the passengeras determined by the direction of travel of the vehicle and theconsequent disposition of the passenger's seat.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have illustrated a portion of a conventionalrailway car, designated by the reference numeral II], which is providedwith pairs of window and'aisle seats ll, I2 on either side of thevertical center line of the car or coach.

These may be conventional coach seats which 4 associated by preference.However, it is to be pointed out that in the absence of such luggagerack, any suitable support or supports extending longitudinally of thevehicle in vertically spaced relation over the seats will serve thepurpose of a support for the system. One of the purposes "of theinvention is to provide an improved arrangement for mounting of theilluminating structure carried by such rack or support in a retracted,withdrawn relation to the exposed surface thereof, in the interest of animproved appearance and increased safety of the installation.

Referring to Fig. 3, wherein details of the luggage rack support areillustrated, I provide, or adapt the exterior aisle-side surface of therack '13 to provide, a light compartment or illumination housing I4extending parallel to the rack longitudinally of the vehicle. To thisend, a suitable upper elongated housing base l5, which may be in theform of a casting or stamping, is secured to the rack by screws 16. Onthe lower edge thereof the member l5 has pivoted thereto at I! aswingable outer or cover member 18 and the outer portion of said coveris secured to a flange [9 on member [5 by means of screws, wing nuts orany similar threaded means 20. Thus members l5, l8 define interiorlythereof the illumination housing [4 in which an elongated light source2i is disposed parallel to the length of the housing. The light source2| is preferably a 36-inch long 30-watt tube obtained on the market,although any similar source may be substituted.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the housing cover memberI8 is provided with an opening 22 adjacent and behind the inner surfacethereof. Said opening is elongated in the direction of the length of therack and light source and faces upwardly and inwardly toward the vehicleceiling in a manner to be further described. A transparent, transverselyconvex condensing lens 23 is disposed in said opening, being coextensivein length therewith, and is held in place by a sheet metal retainingplate 24 having an aperture 25 therein. Said aperture is elongated inthe direction of length of the lens and defines the area of transmissionin the vertically upward and inward direction of rays emanating fromsource 2|, as indicated by dotted arrows 26. In the embodimentillustrated,-the light source 2| is disposed immediately behind aperture25 so that the transmission of rays from said source to and through lens23 and onto the ceiling is, in the main, direct.

In Fig. l, a feature of distinct importanc in the present invention isillustrated; namely, that lens 23 and aperture 25 are so disposed thatthe rays or beams transmitted by the lens are confined in theirimpingement of the vehicle ceiling to points at least as far outlaterally toward the aisle as the longitudinal center of the ceiling.This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein it will appear thattheonly rays from a given sourc 2! on one side of the aisle which arereflected from the ceiling impinge said'ceiling at points at least asfar away from said source as the longitudinal ceiling center line. Thisoverlapping and mixture of the beams 26 totally eliminates anypossibility of an image of the light source on the ceiling and likewiseprevents the production of any shadows. A very thorough yet pleasingilluminationof the entire upper portion of the ceiling results, and,'byreflection and normal dispersion of 5., the rays dire-sea to theceiling. the entire aisle portioni's lighted. A v

Referring again to Fig. cover mem er 'IB has an inner, idu'" ed surface27 which extends wardly and inwardly someway to outo'fi a'n directdownward glare of "the am 23 as well as shielding the lens 23 age s act.surface 21 extends sufficiently inwardly to cover and more a finishedexterior for the 'illumination hdujsing and at its inner end the "coverme oer l8 defines a further elongated ligh'tanszins mil aperture 28 forthe light 'eorrfpa'rtrn fit 14 which extends parallel to thelightsofirce 21 and has the trans parent fight-transmission panel 2}!jdi'sposed therea'crosjs'. rewards of "s'ai panel'ZB the housm I: isprovidedjwith 'a "amorous hector 3'5 of saiaborie or 6th suitable dreceive the rays 31 emanatin omsoui'ce 21 and reflect the same through1; no in. n win be observed that as they is'sjie through said w ndow,the rays 3| serve to illuminate uniformly "the lower curved surface 32"6f the luggage "iaic'ki There will not be sumeiefit transmission oflight in this manner to unduly and ha shl'y flood the space beneath therack; however, there is suin- 'oien't illumination to eliminate an sadows.

A slightly modifies embodiment of the indirect ceiling and rackillumination feature "of the in vention is illustrated in Fig. "6,wherein it will be observed that the upwardly and outwardly dicurved andpolishedreflecting sue-noes 33, -34

which are spaoed'vertically and laterally'relative to one another. Thelight source :2! in this case is disposed inwardly ill a'pbsiti dnWh'reiiy n'osub stantial direct radiation "from the 'souree onto'theceiling or the lower surface -32 of the luggagerack is possible, therays 26, 3'"! resulting solely rrom impingement of its beam on andrefiectionrm surfaces 33, 34, respectively. In metronom ment it willalso be noted that the iens 23 "of the embodiment of Fig 3 is dispensedwith and a transparent panel 35 e1'i1p'loyed in its stead. In either ofthese embodiments the 'de'siredresult's are obtained, namely, uniformand thorough illumi'nation of the ceiling and space beneath the same byrays 26 iinpinging the ceiling at point's'at least "as far from thesource as "the longitudinal center line (as described in connection withthe first embodiment) and "a uniform, thorough illumination'oftrauma-serrate 32"0'1 the rack '13, whereby the space below the rack islighted in directly. All of the above 'erre'cts are "produced by asingle simple fixture employing a single light source. v t t A furtherfeature-of the inv'entionr'esid'es in the means for generating anddownwardly directing onto the reading plane'oi two passenger's occupyingadjacent seats H, |-2 se1eetive twlh readmg beams. For this purposethelo'wer surface 32 of the luggage rack is providedfwith openingswhichreceive the laterally spaced illumination housings 36, 31 (see 'Fig. 3),These usings have inwardly extending conical supports {38 *i'ecei'v'ingplane-convex lenses 39. A "suitable illumination source such as ordinary'low powerfelectric lamps 40 are disposed in each of-thefhousings 'fi,i. will be observed by reference toFi'g/e that there are two suchlampsfdi'spos'ed infeach housingitfi Ii may be mounted on the time:surface of the housings to intensify the beam emanating from the lamps.In the modified forfn inustrated in Fig. 5, separate housings, each withlens, are provided for the forward and rearward light sources, asdistinguished from the embodiment of Fig "4 wherein a-sin'g-le housing3'5 or 3'! houses both the forward and rearward bulb '40.

By means or" the arrangements illustrated, separate intensified andlaterally "spaced beams are focused downwardly onto the respectiveread-- ing areas or "planes or occupants or sea-ts ll and i has clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1-.

The lamp housing structure by which this result isjachieved, and theelements z'zoa cting -the're with, including the tight sources or lamp-20, re"- heaters '41 and ens meam -39, are entirely retra'ctedr'earwardly of the ex osed lower surface of the luggage rack or othersupport #3, as clea rly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. In this"con-nection, the conical lens mounting support 38 not only positionssaid lens properly for the proper directing of the condensed readingbeams, one-on each seat to the exclusion of the other seat, but it alsofunctions to hold the lens rearwardly oi the exposed, aperture'd lowersurface of the -rack or support l3. It provides thoroughly dustprooimounting for the lens, in addition. As a result, the interior appearanceof the vehicle is not marred by the presenceoii various illuminat ingelements projecting substantially from the exposed lower surface of theluggage rack. The installation is substantially fiush with said surface(see Figs. -1, 8, 4 audit) to preserve substan tial continuity ofsurface. Needless "to say, the lens means 39 is safeg-uardedagainstdamage due to impact by the foregoing lens mounting and lighthousing provision-s. Furthermore, a possible source of injury to anoccupant-of the "space beheath the rack is-eliminated.

In the absence of other provision, it will be evident that these focusedbeams would be no more than 250% satisfactory in operation for a vehiclehaving reversible seats. For example, consider ing a beam 53 to becfocused 'formaximum reading efiiciency at a given plane, i. e., theplane 42 shown in solid lines in-F-ig. 2, corresponding to the solidline position of the seat 12 shown in that figure, that beam wouldbecome completely ineffective, and as matter of fact quiteobjectionable, in its lighting efiect when said seat is reversed to thedotted line position illustrated "in dottedlines in Fig. 2, for whichthe optimum reading plane is prescribed, shown in dotted line.

It is for the purpose of eliminating this "objection that I haveprovided the twin lamps 3% in each housing 36, 3?, as shown in Fig. 4,01in separate housings, per Fig. 5. Beingspaced from one another in thedirection of travel of the vehicle, it will be evident that the raystherefrom when generated are transmitted through lens 39 in downwardlydivergent beams 43, 44. Thus beam 43 will be employed to illuminatereading plane 42 when the vehicle is 'tra'velinginone direction and seat12 disposed to face in a cor responding direction, While beam 44 willilluminate the reading plane t5, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whenthe seat-is 'rever'sed'to the dotted line position.

'The respective lamps 33 are in individual parallel circuits under thecontrol of a lr'naster switch 46 which-may'b'e-manipulated bythe'co'nductor or other operator "of the vehicle, to enable one set oflain s to "be out i en the "vehicle m the nireoutn 33nd theses-seas setwhen traveling in the other, as desired. The wiring diagram for thiscircuit and the manner in which switch 46 controls the same isillustrated in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 2 the switch is shown as a push button arrangement wherein onebutton, appropriately designated by an arrow pointing in one direction,will be pressed to close a circuit for all lamps 4B which are to bebrought into play for a corresponding direction of travel of thevehicle. Manipulation of the other button, which is similarly designatedby an arrow facing in the opposite direction, brings the circuit for theother lamps into play. In addition to this, each individuallamp iscontrolled by an individual snap type socket switch 5? manipulated bythe passenger, being located immediately adiacent the lamp housings onthe lower surface32 of the luggage rack. I have not considereditnecessary to illustrate further the details of this switch or itsrelation in the wiring diagram since it is purely conventional.

By the foregoing, selective twin beams are made available to insure thatregardless of the direction of travel of the vehicle and thecorresponding orientation of seats ll, l2, an appropriate intensifiedreading beam will be focused at the appropriate reading plane for saidposition of the seats. This will insure comfort and satisfaction of thepassengers. Individual control of the individual light for an aisle orwindow seat .of the occupant thereof completes the arrangement from thestandpoint of convenience. Continuity of surface appearance onthe'underside of the luggage rack I3 is preserved, lens means for theilluminating sources mounted therein is retracted within said surface bythe improved lens mounting provisions, whereby to be protected againstdamage and an improved dustsealing of the interior of the light housingis provided, in conjunction with the arrangementfor securing seatlighting, either in the lateral sense or in regard to the direction oftravel in the verticalin which the installation is made.

The reference numeral 48 in general designates a still furtherlongitudinally extending lighting fixture arranged above the passenger'seye level along the side wall of the vehicle. This is disposed to throwan upwardly and outwardly directed beam onto the lower surface 32 of theluggage rack and to cooperate in bringing about full and effectiveindirect lighting of the vehicle interior. To the extent that it coactsto this end, it constitutes a part of the present invention althoughindividual features thereof are not claimed herein.

I claim:

l.-A lighting fixture for vehicles of the type described for producingadjacent selective twin lighting beams comprising an overhead supporthaving illumination housing means associated therewith and provided witha downwardly opening light-transmission aperture, electric light sourcesin said housing means disposed pairs and spaced longitudinally of thesupport, electric wiring means for said sources including individualcircuits for all corresponding sources in said pairs and a master switchfor selecting a circuit to energize either of said sets of correspondingsources, whereby beams may be generated by corresponding sources ofeither set as determined by the direction of travel of the vehicle, andtransparent light-focusing means on said housing means over the aperturetherein for directing laterally divergent intensified individual beamsdownwardly from the selected sources, 2. A lighting fixture for vehiclesof the type described for producing adjacent selective twin lightingbeamscomprising an overhead support having illumination housing meansassociated therewith and provided with a downwardly openinglight-transmission aperture, electric light sources in said housingmeans disposed in laterally spaced pairs, the sources in each pair beingin spaced relation to one another longitudinally of the support,electric wiring means for'said sources including individual circuits forall corresponding sources in said pairs and a master switch forselecting a circuit to energize either of said sets of correspondingsources, whereby separate laterally spaced beams may be generated bycorresponding sources of either set as determined by the direction oftravel of the vehicle, and transparent light-focusing means on saidhousing means over the aperture therein for directing laterallydivergent intensified individual beams downwardly from the selectedsources. 3. In a lighting system for installation in a vehiclecharacterized by a downwardly facing, apertured deck or ceiling surfaceof substantial area disposed above the respective reading planes of apair of laterally spaced seats, a lighting unit secured behind theapertured portion of said surface comprising hollow light housing meansmounted directly to the rear of said surface, a pair of electric lightsources enclosed in said housing means and spaced laterally from oneanother in the direction of spacing of said seats, and tubular lensmounting means in said housing means aligned with and opening throughthe apertured portion of said surface, said mounting meansextending asubstantial distance rearwardly and well into said housing means from aforward point approximately flush with said surface, lens meanssupported by said mounting means adjacent the rear end thereof insubstantially retracted relation to said surface, said lens meansbeinglocated forwardly of said respective light sources in direct lighttransmissive relation thereto and with the center thereof in therespective lines between the foci of said sources and the center of saidreading planes, whereby to direct separate light beams from said sourcesat different angles through said mounting means and onto said respectivereading planes, each of said beams being substantially limited to theillumination of but one of said planes.

4. In a lighting system for installation in a vehicle characterized by adownwardly facing, apertured deck or ceiling surface of substantial areadisposed above the respective reading planes of a pair of laterallyspaced seats, a lighting unit secured behind the apertured portion ofsaid surface comprising hollow light housing means mounted directly tothe rear of said surface, a pair of electric light sources enclosed insaid housing means and spaced laterally from one another in thedirection of spacing of said seats, tubular lens mounting means in saidhousing means aligned with and opening through the apertured portion ofsaid surface, said mounting means extending a substantial distancerearwardly and well into said housing means from a forward pointapproximately flush with said surface, lens means supported by saidmounting means adjacent the rear end thereof in substantially retractedrelation to said surface, said lens means being located forwardly ofsaid respective light sources in direct light transmissive relationthereto and with the center thereof in the respective lines between thefoci of said sources and the center of said reading planes, whereby todirect separate light beams from said sources at difierent anglesthrough said mounting means and onto said respective reading planes,each of said beams being substantially limited to the illumination ofbut one of said planes, and means to energize; said sources includingindividual, manually 'actuable controls therefor. l

5. A lighting system in accordance with claim 3, in which said lighthousing means comprises a. pair of individual separate housings, each enclosing a light source, and each provided with a tubular lens mountingmeans and a lens carried thereby.

ALBERT L. ARENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,903,087 Benjamin et al. Mar.28, 1933 2,099,451 Schepmoes Nov. 16, 1937 2,192,019 Schepmoes Feb. 27,1940 2,229,145 Stewart Jan. 21, 1941 2,238,847 Dreyfuss Apr. 15, 19412,251,050 Hagerty et a1 July 29,1941 2,264,637 Landel Dec. 2, 19412,280,881 Arenberg Apr. 28, 1942 2,302,092 Arenberg Nov. 17, 19422,323,697 Zimmerman July 6, 1943

